16 Jun Dating and Kids

Put the Fun Back Into Date Night!
Let’s face it: as much as you love your kids, taking care of them sure can get in the way of romance. Just when you’ve started to catch up on your sleep after a year or so of dealing with diapers, colic, and those midnight (and 2 a.m., and 5 a.m.) feedings, they start toddling into the living room to ask for a cup of water or protection from the monsters underneath the bed.

It’s no wonder that “date night” for many parents of young children often means falling asleep on the couch, halfway through an episode of Orange Is the New Black.

And trying to get out of the house to go on a “real” date? Forget about it. Even if you can afford the babysitter’s fees, it seems like it’s always those nights when your darling little one spikes a fever.

Is your marriage suffering from Offspring Timesuck Syndrome? Have your date nights devolved into eating pizza straight from the box, in your sweatpants, while trying to find something new on Netflix? If so, we have a solution to suggest.

Meet DateBox Club. We’re going to change the way you and your partner do date night.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, you’ve no doubt heard about subscription boxes, which deliver all sorts of treats — Japanese candy, new fashion, sci-fi tchotchkes — directly to your doorstep. DateBox Club is the subscription box for couples who want fun, unusual ways to connect with one another.

So, what’s in a DateBox?
First, we have to tell you what’s not in them. There are no silly sex-related games, no edible underpants, no flavored massage oil that doesn’t taste remotely like cherry (or is it supposed to be strawberry?).

You see, here at DateBox Club, we don’t believe that dates should be all about sex, or even necessarily end with sex. Instead, our passion is in helping foster connection between couples.

Helping couples relax, destress, share some laughs, remember why they fell in love to begin with, and do something besides talk about potty-training and preschool — these are some of the goals we set out to meet when we curate our DateBoxes!

OK, so what’s in the boxes?
It’s a surprise! Part of the fun of a DateBox is the anticipation and curiosity that they inspire. Each month’s box is a departure from the previous one, to keep you guessing.

We can, however, tell you about a few of the experiences we’ve recently offered.Chinese Takeout Date
This box included some fun, unusual Asian snacks to nibble on while learning how to use chopsticks and playing a challenging tower-building game. It also featured a conversation-starting activity, featured in The New York Times, called “36 Questions To Make You Fall In Love.” As a sweet ending, we added some gourmet fortune cookies.#Throwback to Game Night
Who doesn’t love to try their hand at new games? This box offered a two-player game called YAMSLAM! that fans describe as “a love child between Yahtzee and poker,” as well as some throwback questions to help couples remember those carefree, pre-parenthood years. Love tokens for the game night winner, BeanBoozled jelly beans for the loser — er, non-winner! — and buttered-popcorn flavored jelly beans for both to share rounded out this DateBox.

Gratitude Box
Parenthood can be a trying time, filled with frustrations, which is why our gratitude-themed box was a big hit. Couples got the opportunity to create a “gratitude tree” together, and to frame it in a beautiful reclaimed wood frame. Not only that, but we included an actual “grow a tree” seed kit, so that lovebirds could plant a tree together.

Unique crafts, quirky snacks, fun games, and thought-provoking questions to jumpstart intelligent conversation. That’s what is in a DateBox!

What’s the best way to use a DateBox?
To get the most out of the experience, we recommend making a night of it! Wait until the kids are in bed, maybe open a bottle of wine or indulge in a glass of your favorite craft beer. Play some music, whether it’s some romantic jazz piano or the electronica you used to dance to in the club back when you first started dancing. Anything but the Wiggles, please.

And while we know that no one, least of all tired parents, wants to dress up just to stay at home, it wouldn’t hurt to put on a clean pair of sweatpants!

All we’re saying is, make your DateBox an occasion that you will both look forward to. Another benefit of signing up for a subscription is that you’ll have a pre-arranged date, once a month. You pick the night, but we help you ensure that time together is a regular priority.

We’re not parents! Can’t we have DateBoxes too?
Of course! DateBox Club wants couples of all ages and stages of their marriage or relationship to reconnect with one another. There’s nothing parent-specific in our boxes. In fact, DateBoxes are as perfect for empty nesters or busy professional couples as they are for those with young kids.

A subscription to DateBox Club also makes a fantastic wedding present — truly the gift that keeps on giving. It’s a heckuva lot more fun that a toaster oven, too.

DateBox makes it easy to enjoy an extraordinary date night together, without falling into the takeout-and-a-movie rut, and without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money on babysitters, dinners and drinks, or movies.